I first stayed at Gondwana Recreation Reserve in 2017, in one in all their Kwena Huts, once I moved to South Africa. It was my first African Safari and has held a particular place in my coronary heart ever since.
A lot so, that we convey all of our friends on my all-female excursions in South Africa right here!
For anybody touring to Cape City or planning to drive the Backyard Route who desires to expertise a safari, Gondwana Recreation Reserve is the proper vacation spot. Positioned a couple of 5-hour drive from Cape City, friends can expertise the fun of a Huge 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Although I not reside in South Africa, we return yearly. Most just lately, we introduced our 8-month-old son “dwelling” with us and we couldn’t wait to take him on his first safari.
So, we stayed at Ulubisi Home, Gondwana’s luxurious non-public villa—full with your individual private Butler, Chef, and Discipline Information!
Right here’s what it’s like staying at Ulubisi Home at Gondwana Recreation Reserve!
About Gondwana Recreation Reserve
Gondwana Recreation Reserve is a wide ranging wildlife conservation space positioned within the Western Cape of South Africa. Located within the coronary heart of the well-known Backyard Route, this non-public recreation reserve covers roughly 11,000 hectares (27,182 acres) of pristine wilderness and various ecosystems.
It’s a outstanding vacation spot for wildlife fanatics, nature lovers, and vacationers searching for a novel African safari expertise.
Gondwana is dwelling to all kinds of wildlife, together with the long-lasting “Huge 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Along with these majestic creatures, you can even spot cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, varied antelope species, and an unimaginable array of birdlife.
The reserve’s dedication to conservation has helped restore these species to their pure habitats.
Gondwana Recreation Reserve supplies a spread of lodging choices, catering to totally different preferences and budgets. I’ve shared my expertise staying of their Kwena Huts and I’ll give all of the unimaginable particulars of our keep at Ulubisi Home under!
About Ulubisi Home
Ulubisi Home takes luxurious to an entire new degree. The structure seamlessly blends trendy sophistication with the uncooked fantastic thing about the African wilderness. My jaw dropped as I entered the villa, which featured panoramic views of the reserve’s fascinating panorama.
The décor, impressed by native craftsmanship, added an genuine contact to the general ambiance.
My favourite half? The open-plan residing space opens up to an enormous infinity pool overlooking the rolling hills. That is the place we spent our afternoons, lounging underneath the South African solar and taking within the gorgeous surroundings.
The Ulubisi Home Expertise
Ulubisi Home is tucked away within the reserve’s 1000-hectare protected strolling space for endangered species—that means predators can not entry this specific space.
A vital degree of security when bringing younger youngsters to a recreation reserve!
The property additionally comes with a full workers and twice-daily housekeeping with turndowns. The villa options its personal butler, chef, and area information and sleeps both 6 adults or 4 adults and 4 youngsters between three bedrooms.
Your butler helps to arrange and be of service your complete keep. No matter you want, he’ll guarantee it’s taken care of. All meals and drinks are inclusive of your keep — and the meals was unimaginable!
We loved three stunning meals, in addition to afternoon tea and snacks, day-after-day.
Your complete expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater technique to expertise safari as a household!
Personal Recreation Drives
One of the particular points of staying at Ulubisi Home is having your individual non-public recreation automobile and area information. As a household with an toddler, this was unimaginable. Sometimes, you go on recreation drives at set hours (as soon as within the early morning and as soon as within the late afternoon) in a automobile with different friends.
At Ulubisi Home, you make your individual choices!
Whereas recreation drives are finest throughout sure hours of the day, you’re not held to a schedule. Our unimaginable information, Felix, greeted us each morning and afternoon with a smile and introduced a lot pleasure to our expertise. You probably have the choice, I’d extremely advocate requesting him!
We stayed 2 nights and went on 4 recreation drives throughout our keep. We noticed ALL sorts of wildlife together with a number of child animals, a cheetah with a kill, and had an unimaginable encounter with a male lion.
Recreation Drives with Youngsters
If you’re touring with children, be aware that youngsters underneath 2 aren’t permitted on recreation drives, and kids underneath 6 aren’t permitted on recreation drives with different friends.
Which means friends at Ulubisi Home have the distinctive alternative to “bend” the principles. As a result of we had our personal non-public automobile, we had been allowed to do a “baba drive” for our toddler at our leisure within the protected space of the reserve the place there aren’t any predators (aka lions).
We went out for about 45 minutes (earlier than our deliberate night recreation drive) with the newborn absolutely anticipating it to final 10 minutes earlier than we would have liked to show again,
However, he completely LOVED it! We bought to see zebra and another VERY particular animals. And, we captured some completely heart-melting images that we are going to treasure for a lifetime.
Useful Tip:
And, most significantly, you can’t convey a crying child into the wild with out attracting the eye of predators like lions. Ulubisi Home friends have the distinctive alternative to take children on non-public recreation drives in an space that’s utterly shielded from predators.
Staying at Ulubisi Home with a Child
We opted to convey all the pieces our child would wish for his keep (pool float, bottles, child monitor, and so forth.) however you possibly can attain out forward of your keep to arrange a cot and highchair.
One factor we knew we’d wish to benefit from is their babysitting service.
As a result of recreation drives are usually early morning (6 am-ish) and late afternoon (4 or 5 pm-ish), and may final 3+ hours, they’re simply not the identical life-changing expertise for younger youngsters as they’re for us.
Babysitting is R150 per hour and it is best to coordinate properly upfront.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we might be sure the newborn and ourselves had been snug with the state of affairs. We had her watch the newborn for all recreation drives (4 in complete) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it another time in a heartbeat.
We bought to expertise unimaginable encounters with lions, elephants, and every kind of wildlife, whereas our baby was secure and cared for at Ulubisi Home.
Getting There
Attending to Gondwana Recreation Reserve from Cape City is a comparatively simple journey, and you’ve got a number of transportation choices. The reserve is located alongside the Backyard Route, making it accessible by street or air. Right here’s how one can attain Gondwana Recreation Reserve from Cape City:
1. By Automotive:
- Period: The drive from Cape City to Gondwana Recreation Reserve takes roughly 4.5 to five.5 hours, relying on site visitors and the precise location of your place to begin in Cape City.
- Word: There are many relaxation stops and padstals (farm stands) alongside the drive so make sure to cease ceaselessly to stretch and snack. Our favourite stops from Cape City to Gondwana are Peregrine Farm Stall and Ou Meul Bakkery (there are just a few alongside the drive!).
2. By Air:
- Period: The closest airport to Gondwana Recreation Reserve is George Airport (GRJ), which is roughly a 1.5 to 2-hour drive from the reserve.
- Flights: You possibly can guide a home flight from Cape City Worldwide Airport (CPT) to George Airport (GRJ). A number of airways function flights on this route, together with South African Airways (SAA), Mango, and FlySafair.
- Word: Whereas flying is a quicker possibility, renting a automobile lets you discover the gorgeous Backyard Route area at your individual tempo.
Useful Tip:
The Final Information to Occurring an African Safari
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